With a nickname of “LOCO”—short for Longmont, Colorado—this mid-sized city enjoys a “crazy good location,” and its residents (population of 36,925 in 2020) are crazy about living here. Along with stunning views of the Rockies wherever you look, the city is a perfect hub for Front Range travels. Longmont lies within 15 minutes to Boulder; 35 minutes to Denver; 35 minutes to Fort Collins; Greeley is a 30-minute drive northeast; and it’s only about 45 minutes to beautiful Rocky Mountain National Park.
Residents can enjoy all of the benefits of the metropolitan areas, such as nightlife, sporting events, cultural activities, and more, without paying the higher property prices of Boulder or living with the hustle and bustle of Denver. Don’t want to drive? The Regional Transportation District makes traveling to and from these towns effortless.
Longmont is in the middle of revival: renovations to downtown Main Street make it completely walkable, with a wonderful variety of locally owned shops, restaurants, innovative breweries, and public art exhibits, not to mention ample opportunities for outdoor recreation. Kayak and tube down the St. Vrain River running through the city. Enjoy Sandstone Ranch Community Park with its ball fields, picnic shelters, skatepark, and many walking paths. Comprised of more than 300 acres near central Longmont, Sandstone Ranch Park is open year-round and offers visitors both recreational and historical attractions.
Longmont calls itself by another nickname as well—Gig City—offering high-speed internet to all its residents. The city, which has had its own electric utility since 1912, began installing its fiber-optic broadband network in 2014. Construction is still underway in parts of the city, but soon, every home and business in Longmont will have access to high-speed internet. The city’s service was even ranked the fastest in the United States by PC Magazine.
Longmont crime statistics for 2020 are slightly higher than the national average; but overall, Longmont is safer than 22% of the cities in the United States, and year over year crime has decreased by 3%.
St Vrain Valley School District is an above average, public school district located in Longmont. It has 32,639 students in grades PK, K-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 18 to 1. Longmont’s Front Range Community College is highly rated, and major universities are found in all its surrounding cities.